The present invention relates to a paint mask apparatus used in a painting process to restrict application of paint to only a preferred area of a molded part such as a lens or a lamp body, which are component parts of a vehicular lamp, for example.
A conventional paint mask apparatus of the same general type as that to which the invention pertains, as shown in FIG. 8, is constructed with a receiving jig 3 for mounting a part 7 to be painted, which in turn is supported by a jig base 2 provided in an outer base 1. A mask supporting frame 5 with an integrated mask main body 6 shaped to correspond to the part 7 to be painted is attached to the outer base 1 in such a manner as to be able to swing up and down so that the mask main body 6 can selectively cover (broken line in FIG. 8) and uncover (solid line in FIG. 8) the receiving jig 3 and the part to be painted 7 from above.
Reference numeral 4 denotes a link mechanism that raises and lowers the jig base 2. Reference numeral 4a indicates a lever for raising and lowering the link mechanism 4 such that by raising the receiving jig 3 with respect to the mask main body 6, the part 7 to be painted is covered in the correct position by the mask main body 6.
An opening (not shown) corresponding to the area to be painted of the part 7 is formed in the mask main body 6. Spray paint is applied from above the mask main body 6 with the mask main body 6 covering the part 7 so as to paint only the desired area to be painted.
However, when the area P to be painted of the part 7 to be painted is on the rear side of an overhanging portion 7a, painting becomes more difficult because it is necessary to spray at an upward angle from below, as indicated by the arrow A. It is also difficult to install the spray gun for use in such a case. Moreover, the paint mist tends to be dispersed, thus deteriorating the painting quality.
Also, when there are several areas that require painting on the same part to be painted, several different types of mask main bodies having an opening which corresponds to each area to be painted must be prepared beforehand. The mask main bodies must also be changed with each painting operation, and the alignment of the spray gun must be adjusted so that it points in the direction of the area to be painted. These and other operations in the painting process are troublesome.
An object of the present invention is to overcome the problems noted above by providing a paint mask apparatus wherein the paint mask apparatus main body is made tiltable so that paint can be applied to a predetermined portion considered difficult to paint conventionally, and which enables paint to be applied to a plurality of areas to be painted in a single painting process.
In order to achieve the foregoing and other objects of the invention, a paint mask apparatus according to the invention is constructed so as to have a paint mask apparatus main body having a receiving jig for mounting a work, namely, a part to be painted, to a movable base, and a mask main body which covers this work mounted to the receiving jig, wherein the apparatus main body is mounted so as to be tiltable around a horizontal axis.
That is, the entire paint mask apparatus main body into which the work to be painted is made to be tiltable around a horizontal axis. The area or areas to be painted of the work supported by the paint mask apparatus main body is then pointed in a predetermined direction to facilitate the painting process.
The paint mask apparatus may be formed such that means for fixing and maintaining the paint mask apparatus main body in a predetermined position around the horizontal axis is provided on the paint mask apparatus.
The fixing and maintaining means fixes and maintains the paint mask apparatus main body in a predetermined tilted position around the horizontal axis. As a result, the work is held pointed in a predetermined direction, which facilitates the painting of a predetermined area to be painted.
The paint mask apparatus may be constructed such that the paint mask apparatus main body is supported from below by a fixed base. The paint mask apparatus main body is suspended by a pair of supports provided on both the left and right sides of the paint mask apparatus on the side of the fixed base which forms the horizontal axis.
Extending and retracting the paint mask apparatus main body enables the paint mask apparatus main body to swing (tilt) in a pendulum-like manner around the horizontal axis (pair of supports) on the fixed base side. Also, the paint mask apparatus can be moved by changing the position of the fixed base.
Further, the paint mask apparatus may be formed with the horizontal axis provided above the center of gravity of the paint mask apparatus main body.
The paint mask apparatus main body of the invention has good stability because the center of gravity of the paint mask apparatus main body, i.e., the pendulum, is below the center (horizontal axis) of the pendulum.
Still further, the paint mask apparatus may be formed with opposing vertical walls to which the horizontal axis provided on the fixed base is attached, and the fixing and maintaining means is disposed between the vertical walls and the movable base. The fixing and maintaining means may be implemented with a stopper pin provided on the moveable base side and which is spring-loaded in the direction in which the tip portion thereof projects to the vertical wall side, a plurality of pin engaging holes are provided along the path of travel of the stopper pin in the vertical wall and with which the stopper pin is able to engage, and a release lever that moves in the direction against the force of the spring is provided so as to disengage the stopper pin from the pin engaging hole.
When the stopper pin is disengaged from the pin engaging hole, the paint mask apparatus main body can be tilted around the horizontal axis. However, when the stopper pin is in a state in which it is engaged with the pin-engaging hole in the vertical wall, the paint mask apparatus main body is maintained fixed to the vertical wall.
By operating the release lever, the stopper pin can be engaged with and disengaged from the pin engaging hole.
In particular, when the paint mask apparatus main body is tilted and the stopper pin arrives at a position corresponding to a predetermined pin engaging hole, the stopper pin automatically engages the pin engaging hole by the force of the spring without the release lever having to be operated so as to fix and maintain the paint mask apparatus main body in a predetermined position around the horizontal axis.
The work may be a lens for a vehicular lamp having a surface design portion and a leg portion and in which an overhanging portion that protrudes to the outside beyond the leg portion is formed on the side edge of the surface design portion so that the area from the rear side of the overhanging portion to the outside of the leg is the area to be painted.
Tilting the pain mask apparatus main body and opening the area from the rear side of the overhanging portion of the lens to the outside of the leg portion (the area to be painted) in the direction of painting enables the area to be painted to be readily and reliably painted.